Wire fabric.



H. RICHARDSON & w. LIPPERT.

WIRE FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED 050.9.1914.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. RICHARDSON & W. LIPPERT.

WIRE FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED 0509,1914.

Patent-ed. Nov 27, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. RICHARDSON 6; W. LIPPERT.

WIRE FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED oc.9.19|4.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

I UNITED S lfsfll ll lg PATENT @FllCE.

HENRY RICHARDSON, 01 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND 'WILLIAM LIPPERT, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN; SAID LIPPERI ASSIGNOR TO SAID RICHARDSON.

W'IRE FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27;, lllll.

Application filed December 9, 1914. Serial No. 876,264.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, .ilENRY RICHARDSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and titate of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Fabrics, of whiclrthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire link fabric of that type extensively used to form bed and couch bottoms, and pertains more particularly to a type of such fabrics which is made in comparatively light wire, the requisite strength eing secured through the avoidance of unsecured end connections of the links in the line of longitudinal strain. The general object of the in vention is to provide an improved, simple and strong link fabric of the light wire type, and one which will readily lend itself to manufacture by'comparatively simple and easily performed operations.

The bent wire link forming the basis of our present fabric employs a two-ply longitudinal tension member and an integral two-ply laterally extending cross-arm that serves to flexibly connect adjacent longitudinal strands of the fabric.

l-leretofore, so far as we are aware, in fabrics employing a two-ply longitudinal body or tension member and a two-ply cross-arm, the latter has been composed of the two end portions of the wire which forms the link, the free ends of these end portions being bent to form parallel independent hooks which engage a laterally adjacent link of the fabric. in accordance with our present invention, one object of which is to secure increased tensional strength crosswise of the fabric through the avoidance of unsecured end connections in the line of transverse strain, as well as in the line of longitudinal strain, this two-ply cross-arm is formed from one portion of the wire of the link bent or folded upon it elf so that the two limbs of the cross-arm are integrally united in the cross-arm itself, the free end of the portion of the wire forming the cross-arm being secured to the body member of the link. This construction affords a closed or loop-shaped outer end of the cross-arm which not only causes the two limbs of the latter to mutually reinforce each other, but

also makes feasible a very simple and permanent flexible connection of the cross-arm to an adjacent link by carrying the looped end of the cross-arm through or around a portion of the latter.

For the purpose of end-to-end connection of the links, one end of each link may be formed by a simple ll-bend of the wire, while the other end may be variously shaped to provide a coiiperating interlooping member. This latter may take the form of a two-ply substantially vertical loop, or a single vertical loop and a downwardly and laterally bent offset, or a pair of downwardly and laterally bent offsets; the free end portion of the wire that is not used in the formation of the cross-arm being preferably clenched or otherwise strongly secured to the body portion of the link. The outer looped end of the cross-arm may be carried around the body portion of an adjacent link, or it may be looped through a laterally projecting eye on the latter, or it may be otherwise flexibly connected to a laterally adjacent link, within the purview of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated our invention as embodied in a considerable variety of specifically varying forms, all of which, however, embody the principle of the invention; and referring thereto- Figures 1, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26 and 29 are fragmentary top plan views of several slightly varying forms of our fabric;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional detail views on the lines 22 and 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. l is an enlarged perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow 7 of Fig. 5;

Fig 9 is an enlarged sectional detail view on the line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow 10 of Fig. 8;

Fl g. 12 is an enlarged sectional detail view on the line 1212 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow 13 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged sectional detail view on the line 1515 of Fig. 1%;

Fig. 16 is an enlargedperspective view looking in the-direction of the arrow 16 of Fig. ll; 7

Fig. 18 is an enlarged sectional detail View on the line 1818 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is anenlarged perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow .19 of Fig. 17;

Figs. 21 and 22 are enlarged sectional detail views on the lines 2121 and 2222 of Fig. 20;

Figs. 24 and 25 are enlarged sectional detail views on the lines 24-24: and 25-25 of Fig. 23;

Fig. 27 is an enlarged sectional detail View on the line 27-27 of Fig. 26;

Fig. 28 is an enlarged perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow 28 of Fig. 26;

Figs. 30 and31 are enlarged sectional detail views on the lines 30-30 and 31-31of Fig. 29.

In all of the several embodiments of the invention illustrated, the individual link or unit is formed from a single piece of wire so bent as to provide a two-ply body or tension member 5, or 5, the limbs of which are united at one end by a simple U-bend 6. In the form shown in'Figs. 1 to 1 inclusive, the wires forming the two limbs of the body member are, at the end opposite the U-bend 6, bent downwardly and thence inwardly :and upwardly, forming a terminal two-ply loop comprising the limbs 7 and 8 designed for interlooping engagement with the U- bend .6 of an endwise adjacent link, in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4:. The wire forming the limb 8 of the terminal loop is carried across and secured to the body member at 9. The wire forming the limb 7 of the terminal loop is extended across the'body member and folded or bent backwardly upon itself at 10, thus forming a two-ply cross-arm 10, the free end portion of the wire forming this cross-arm being carried across and secured to the body member at 11. This construction provides a two-ply cross arm that is formed wholly from one of the end portionsof the wire of the link, and said cross-arm at its outer end is warped or twisted through an angle of 90, bringing its outer loop-shaped end 10 55 into a substantially vertical plane, which loop-shaped end embraces the body member of a laterally adjacent link, preferably between the two limbs of the cross-arm of said adjacent link, thereby avoiding any displacement of the outer end of the cross-arm lengthwise of the link which it engages. It will be further observed, by reference to Fig. 2, that one limb of the cross-arm 10 is bent upwardly near its outer end toward the ;other limb, as shown at 10, thereby providing a substantially closed loop that prevents the links of one strand from creeping through the cross-arm toward thelinks of an ad acent strand.

This last mentioned feature is optional, and may be employed or omitted as desired in any of the forms of cross-arm shown.

The form shown in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive differs from that of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive only in that the Wire of the limb ,8 of the terminal loop is brought .up and. across the body member from the opposite side, of the latter as shown at .12, and the end loop 10 ofthe cross-arm is engaged with the body member 5 between the base of the upper limb of the cross-arm 10 and the securedend 12 of the loop member 8. I

The construction of Figs.'8, 9 and 10 differs from that of Figs. 1 to at inclusive only in that the wire forming the terminal loop member 7-, instead ofextendmg over the body member 5 extends beneath said body member, as shown at 13, and continues thence to form the cross-arm 10.

The construction shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 diflers from that of Figs. 5, '6 and 7 only in that the terminal loop member 8 is somewhat shortened, the free end of the wire forming such loop member being clenched to the body member at 141, next to the base of the upper limb of the cross-arm 10, and the looped end 10 of the cross-arm' embracing the body member between the clenched end 14 of the terminal loop member and the secured-end 11 of the cross-arm.

The construction of Figs. 14, 15 and 1 6 closely follows that of; Figs. 8, 9 and 10,-

difiiering only in that the free end of the.

terminal loop member 8 is carried across and clenched to the body member inthe opposite clirection, as shown at 1'5, and the body member 5 is somewhat difierently shaped, the two limbs extending substan" her 8 and the free end of the wire forming n the cross-arm. This form of body member,

which may lye-employed in any orall of.

the other forms of the invention shown,is

chiefly useful as preventing spreading of the limbs of the cross-arm at their inner end.

In the construction of Figs. 17, 18 and 19,

the wire that forms the terminal loop memher 8 is carried upwardly and across the neck of the body member 5 as shown at 17, being thence extended to form the crossarm 10, while the end of the wire forming the loop m mber 7 is simply bent upwardly substantially into contact with "the underside of the neck of the body member as shown at 18, and left free. The looped end 10 of the cross-arm engages the neck of the body member of an adjacent link directly between the inner ends of the limbs of the cross-arm of said adjacent link.

The'construction of Figs. 20, 21 and 22 dispenses with the terminal loop member 8 of the previously described constructions, substituting therefor a downwardly and laterally offset bend 19 which is extended laterally to form the cross-arm 10. In this case we have shown the terminal loop member 7 as embracing the body member 5 at 20, below the lower limb of the cross-arm; and in this construction the said lower limb of the cross-arm is secured to the body member by passing beneath, thence up and over, and again beneath the body member, completely embracing the latter as shown at 21.

In the construction of Figs. 28, 2% and 25 the two limbs of the body member 5 are bent laterally in opposite directions as hown at 22 and 23, the portions of the wire being thence extended to form on one side a lateral eye 25 the end of which is clenched to the body member at 26, and on the other side the cross-arm 10. To effect the interlooping engagement of endwise adjacent links, either the lateral bends 22 and may be downwardly offset, or, as herein shown, the lJ-bend of the body member may be downwardly offset as shown at 27, these constructions being equivalents, and the free end of the wire forming the cross-arm is anchored to the body member at 28 in the same manner as shown and described in connection with Figs. 20 to 22 inclusive. In this case, the looped end 10 of the crossarm, instead of embracing the body member, is looped through the lateral eye 25.

Figs. 26 to 28 inclusive show a construction retaining the vertical terminal twoply loop of the body member and also affording the lateral eye of the construction last described. Here the wire forming the loop member 8 is extended in one direction to form the lateral eye 25, the free end of which is anchored to the body member at 29, while the wire forming the terminal loop member 7 is extended in the opposite direction, as shown at 30, to form a crossarm 10 differing slightly from the crossarms previously described in that the two limbs lie substantially parallel throughout the greater portion of the length of the arm. The inner ends of both limbs of the cross-arm engage the body member between the sides of the eye 25, and, at its outer end the cross-arm is formed with a substantially vertical loop 31 that engages the eye 25 of a laterally adjacent link.

The construction of Figs. 29, 30 and 31 embodies the same general principle as the construction last described, the main differences being that the lateral eye is formed in a vertical plane, and the limbs of the cross-arm are spaced to straddle the inner end of the lateral eye on the body member. 1 hat is to say, the wire forming the loop memher 8 is carried up and across the body memher at 32, is extended thence to form a substantially vertical lateral eye 33,the free end of the latter being wound around the body member at 3a. The two limbs of the crossarm 1O lie substantially parallel and in a substantially horizontal plane throughout, and at their inner end embrace the inner end or base of the eye 33 on the body member.

We claim:

1. A wire link fabric including a plurality of links or units, each composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a body member and a two-ply cross-arm, said crossarm consisting of an end portion of the wire of the link bent upon itself, and said links being engaged with each other end-to-end to form longitudinal strands of the fabric and having the outer ends of their crossarms flexibly engaged with the links of an adjacent strand.

2. A wire link fabric including a plurality of links or units, each composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a twoply body member and a two'ply cross-arm, said cross-arm consisting of an end portion of the wire of the link bent upon itself and having the free end of said end portion secured to the body member; said links being engaged with each other end-to-end to form longitudinal strands of the fabric and having the outer ends of their cross-arms flexibly engaged with the links of an adjacent strand.

3. A wire link fabric including a plurality of links or units, each composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a body member and a two-ply cross-arm, said crossarm consisting of an end portion of the wire of the link bent upon itself to form a looped outer end of the cross-arm, and said links being engaged with each other end-to-end to form longitudinal strands of the fabric and having the outer ends of their cross-arms interlooped with the links of an adjacent strand.

l. A wire link fabric including a plurality of links or units, each composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a two-ply body member and a two-ply cross-arm, said cross-arm consisting of an end portion of the wire of the link bent upon itself to form a looped outer end of the cross-arm and having the free end of said end portion secured to the body member; said links being engaged with each other end to end to form longitudinal strands of the fabric and having the outer ends of their cross-arms interlooped with the links of an adjacent strand.

5.-A Wire link fabric including a plurality of links or units, each composed of a single piece of Wire bent to form a two-l ply body member With terminal portions adapted for inter-looping end connections and a two-ply cross-arm, said cross-arn1' their cross-arms interlooped With the links of an adjacent strand.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a Wire fabric link consisting of a single piece of Wire bent to form a two-ply body member and a two-ply cross-arm, said crossnrm consisting of an end portion of the ire of the link bent upon itself and having the free end of said end portion secured to the body member, and the two limbs of said cross-arm forming a loop at the outer end of the latter for engagement With a laterally adjacent link.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a Wire fabric link consisting of a single piece of Wire bent to form a two-ply body member Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing Washington, D. C.

With portions adapted for'interlooping end connectlons in a strand and a two-ply crossarm, said crossearm consisting of an end portion of the Wire of the link bent upon itself to form a' looped outer end of the cross-arm for connection to an adjacent strand, and having the free end of said arm consisting of an'end' portion of the Wire of the link bent upon itselfjto form a looped outer endof the cross-arm and having the free end of said end portion secured to the body member; said links being engaged with each other end-to-end to form longitu dinal strands of fabric andihaving the looped outerends of their cross-arms embracing the body members of laterally adjacent links between the limbs of the twoply cross-arms of said laterally adjacent links. a HENRY RICHARDSON. 'WILLIAM LIPPERT. Witnesses:

S. N. POND, A. G. LATIMER.

the Commissioner of Patents, 

